Monument Mountain Edges Wahconah

DALTON, Mass. -- Branden Perry's two-out single in the top of the seventh drove in the winning run for Monument Mountain in a 3-2 win over Wahconah on Monday.

 

But as big as that hit was, its significance was overshadowed by what else happened on the play.

 

Perry's hit was a fly fall into no man's land in short left field. With the potential go-ahead run standing on third base, Wahconah senior outfielder Kyle Kirchner and sophomore shortstop Will Genaway each charged hard to try to make the play.

 

Instead, they collided, hard, knocking both men to the ground and leaving Wahconah's center fielder to retrieve the ball, get it to the infield and hold Perry at third base.

 

Eventually, two ambulances were called to the scene -- one for each of the fallen Wahconah players.

 

Both appeared to be conscious and responsive. Late Monday evening, Wahconah coach Jared Shannon said he had no further information about their respective conditions.

 

After play resumed, Wahconah recorded the third out, stranding Perry at third.

 

Then Henri Morrison, who had come on to relieve Andrew Crine in the sixth, pitched a scoreless bottom of the seventh to earn the win for the Spartans (8-7).

 

Monument Mountain had taken a 2-0 lead with two unearned runs in the top of the fifth.

 

After Morrison led off the inning with a double, an infield single by James Allentuck got Morrison to third. Then a two-base throwing error sent Morrison home and left runners on second and third. The lead man was retired on a ground ball to third, but the next ground ball scored Nick Errichetto, who had reached on the error. Kirchner then go the last out on a grounder to short.

 

Wahconah erased that 2-0 deficit in the bottom of the sixth when Ben Schmitt hit a leadoff single and came home on a towering home run to left off the bat of Ryan Washburn.

 

After Andrew Beaudoin followed with a single, Monument coach Tom Hankey lifted Crine for Morrison, and he stranded the runner with a fly ball to center and a strikeout.

 

Crine ended up with three strikeouts, five hits and a no-decision.

 

Kirchner struck out two and allowed just one unearned run on the way to a hard-luck loss on the mound. He started the seventh and gave up a single to put Steve Cormier aboard. A sac bunt by Joe Aberdale and a ground ball to the right side moved Cormier to third before Perry singled off reliever Austin Cancilla to score the winning run.

 

Wahconah (13-5) takes on Pittsfield on Wednesday in Cooperstown, N.Y., part of a double-header that features Hoosac Valley and Taconic in the other half.